12 Rules For Life: An Antidote to Chaos

12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

Since I have watched some of Jordan Peterson's videos on YouTube and read some of his pieces I was inclined to like this book before I even started it. It's well done but not perfect. The 'rules' are largely self-evident although he does phrase some of them in a whimsical manner. The thing I didn't like was his tendency to be a little verbose. He would state his premise and then proceed to back it up with a nice logical argument. And then he would proceed to back it up with a nice logical argument. And then he would proceed to back it up with a nice logical argument. Enough, I found myself thinking. It makes sense. Move on. But still he'd hammer his point into the floor and then jump up and down on it. Fortunately, as the book progressed, I found his writing to become more fluid and, by extension, more interesting. So I found the first half rather tough sledding but the second half was much better.

Sometimes he uses myth from Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and even Egyptology to make a point. I found myself disagreeing with his interpretation of some of the biblical myths but his were certainly interesting and I may have learned a thing or two by reexamining them in a different light. I also disagreed with a few of his other points but even if I disagreed with his interpretation of something, he was never boring.

In some respects he seems to lose sight of the trees for the forest. Overarching theories are all very well but there is a very practical side to life and dismissing it as irrelevant or at least of little importance is a mistake. Getting out of bed in the morning is a reality. Eating a sufficient amount of nourishing food to stay alive on a regular basis is a necessity. The mundane occupies a great deal of our lives. It is fine and laudable to strive for excellence and personal growth but driving a vehicle along the 401 at high speed while contemplating the vicissitudes of life would be a good way to shorten that life considerably.

This isn't necessarily an easy book to read. It covers a lot of territory and I certainly can't claim to have understood everything he's suggesting; however, reading it seems a worthwhile endeavor and I recommend it to anyone who is prepared to stop and do a bit of reflection on his or her life. I do not recommend it to those for whom ideology - doesn't matter which one - is seen as an absolute and not to be questioned or contested.



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